Big Bad Bodie: High Sierra Ghost Town

James Watson and Doug Brodie
Robert D. Reed Publishers (2006)
ISBN 1931741107
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

“In 1879 through 1881Bodie, California was one of the richest mining towns in the West.”  Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the town is now a historic state park.  Both gold and silver were excavated from the town’s mines.  “Bodie is the best-preserved ghost town in the West. 

James Watson and Doug Brodie combine history, legend and never before shared stories with their readers to bring to life the image of Bodie, once a thriving town now a ghost town. 

The author’s discuss how to obtain an education in an obscure isolated town called Bodie.  “The Bodie Public School opened its doors the second Tuesday of March, 1878.”  There were 10 eager students.  Within two weeks there were 40 students.  The teacher was paid $100.00 per month. 

The town is located 15 miles from Mono Lake.  The lake has been referred to as “the Dead Sea of the West.”  The lake was used for transporting materials “to build the railroad and to haul wood products and lumber.” 

In 1911 a blizzard hit the area resulting in three avalanches, leaving nine dead.  “The tremendous weight of snow on the mountainside gave way and with a roar bore down on the unsuspecting occupants of the dwellings….Within seconds the powerhouse and cottages were ripped off their foundations and flattened.”

“Big Bad Bodie: High Sierra Ghost Town,” by James Watson and Doug Brodie, is fascinating.  The combination of facts and myth helps to teak the reader’s interest.  The photographs add much to the story, bringing the town to the reader.  I found myself pondering the photographs.  My husband and I are born tourist, we definitely want to see Bodie.  I highly recommend this book to those interested in history, travel, ghost stories and nonfiction.

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